Collapsible table



1968 J. J. HAMILTON ETAL 3,364,384

7 COLLAPSIBLE TABLE Filed Feb. 10, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4" 22 I2 ll 27 I8 l3 l4 5 35 I5 Fig.4

Mimi? INVENTORS JOHN J. HAMILTON CHARLES E. SCHROER CLAYTON R. HUME Fig. 3 v (filflp klw il M1 4) ATTORNEYS J. J. HAMILTON ETAL 3,364,884

Jan. 23, 1968 COLLAPSIBLE TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1967 Fig. :7

Fig. 6

INVENTORS JOHN J. HAMILTON CHARLES E. SCHROER CLAYTON R. HUME BY M a ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofilice and Clayton R.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A table having a plurality of legs for supporting a top and being swingable into a generally coplanar retracted posltion. The top is swingably interconnected to said legs and upon movement of said legs into their retracted positron, said top is swingable into a retracted position lying in a plane adjacent to and generally parallel with said legs.

Summary of the invention In accordance with the invention there is provided a table top having a pair of brackets swingably connected thereto on a horizontal axis. The top is supported by pairs of first and second leg members. Said first pair of leg members comprises a pair of vertical legs interconnected at their upper ends by a transverse stretch fixedly connected to said pair of brackets. Each of said second leg members comprises a vertical leg connected at its opposed ends to parallel upper and lower horizontal arms. Each of said second leg members has its upper arm swingably connected on a vertical axis to one of said brackets and its lower arm swingably connected on another vertical axis to the lower end of the vertical leg on one of said first leg members. Thus, said second leg members are swingable from an erected position in which their upper arms engage and support the top and are normal to the longitudinal stretch of said first leg members to a retracted position in which said upper arms are generally parallel to said longitudinal stretch. When said second leg members are in their retracted position, the top is free to swing about its connection to said brackets into a retracted position lying in a plane generally parallel to the planes of said first and second leg members. Conveniently, locking means are provided on said top for engagement with said upper arms for releasably locking said top and second leg members in extended position.

Brief description of the drawings The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a table embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of one of the leg-top interconnections shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 66 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 2 but with the table in erected position.

plan view of the table in a collapsed Detailed description As shown in FIG. 1, our table comprises a top having a rigid panel 10 bordered by a peripheral molding 11. Said molding comprises a pair of parallel skirts 12 and 13 interconnected at their lower ends with the upper end of the skirt 12 terminating in an inwardly projecting flange 14 bearing against the upper face of the panel 10 and the upper end of the skirt 13 terminating in an inwardly pro- Patented Jail. 23, 1968 2 I jecting flange 15 bearing against the lower face of said panel. The flanges 14 and 15 bindingly engage the marginal edges of the panel 16, and flange 15 is further provided with longitudinally spaced tabs 16 piercing the bottom face of said panel for thus fixedly mounting the molding thereon.

The top is connected to a supporting leg structure by a pair of brackets 18 which are identical in their construction. As shown in FIGS. 3-5, each of said brackets comprises a web 19 having an L-sha'ped foot 26 projecting upwardly and laterally outwardly from the upper edge thereof for engagement with the lower face of the panel 10. A flange 22 projects upwardly from the outer end of web 19 against molding skirt 13 and is swingably connected to the molding by a pivot pin 24 mounted in said flange and the molding skirts 12 and 13. As shown in FIG. 2, the pins 24 for the pair of brackets are longitudinally aligned with each other to define a horizontal swinging axis for the top adjacent one of its longitudinal edges as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The brackets 18 interconnect a pair of vertical tubular legs 27 to the top. As shown in FIG. 3, the legs 27 are interconnected at their upper ends by a transverse stretch 28 which is mounted in the brackets 18 adjacent its opposed ends. To this end, each of the brackets is provided at its end remote from the flange 22 with a loop 25 terminating at its free end in a finger 26 underlying the web 1) and projecting outwardly toward flange 22. The loops 25 are received over the transverse leg stretch 28 and are fixedly secured thereto by rivets 32.

A second pair of vertical tubular legs 34 having lengths greater than legs 27 are also interconnected to the brackets 18. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper ends of the legs 34 terminate in horizontal inwardly projecting arms 35. The inner ends of the arms 35 are received between the loops 25 and the bracket webs 1? and are swingably connected thereto by pivot pins 37. As shown, arms 35 are angled upwardly intermediate their lengths and have flattened upper faces to minimize the spacing between the bracket webs 19 and fingers 26 and to permit said arms to lie against the bottom face of the panel 10, in face to face Contact when the table is erected.

The lower ends of the legs 34 terminate in a second pair of inwardly projecting arms 42 parallel to arms 35. The inner ends of the arms 42 are curved upwardly, as at 43, and as shown in FIG. 6, are swingably connected to the adjacent ends of the legs 27 by pairs of opposed plugs 44 swingably interconnected by pivot pins 46 and press-fit into the adjacent ends of legs 27 and arms 42. Conveniently, pairs of gronnd-engageable feet 48 are mounted on the arms 42 to prevent sliding movement of the table in its erected position.

In order to releasably retain the legs 34 in their erected position shown in FIG. 1, a pair of opposed locks 50 are connected to the top. As shown in FIG. 7, each of said locks is generally L-shaped and comprises a vertically extending stretch 52 connected to the molding skirts 12 and 13 by rivets 53. The stretch 52 is connected at its upper end to an inwardly projecting stretch 54 having an offset 55 formed therein for reception over one of the arms 35 and a downwardly angled finger lift 57 at its inner end. Thus, upon outward swinging movement of the legs 34 about the axes of the pins 37 and 46, the leg arms 35 will be received between the offsets 55 and the bottom face of the panel 10 and will be bindingly retained therebetween by the inherent resiliency of the lock stretches 54.

To collapse the table from its erected position shown in FIG. 1, the inner ends of the lock stretches 54 are sprung downwardly, and the legs 34 are swung inwardly toward the center of the top about the axis of the pins 37 interconnecting the legs 34 with brackets 18 and the pins 46 interconnecting the legs 34 with the legs 26. The legs 34 can be swung inwardly toward retracted position until the portions of the legs 34 immediately below the arms 35 abut the sretch 28. The legs 34 will then be disposed in a retracted position in which they are disposed in generally coplanar relationship with the legs 27. With the legs 34 in this retracted position, the top can be swung downwardly about the axis of the pins 24 into a plane immediately adjacent and generally parallel to the legs 27 and 34. To erect the table, it is merely necessary to swing the top upwardly about the axis of the pins 24, and then swing the legs 34 outwardly until the leg arms 35 are received between the lock stretches 54 and the bottom face of the panel 10. In such extended position, the legs 27 and 34 at the ends oat the table will be in generally par allel planes and the top will be supported against the leg arms 35 and bracket feet 20.

We claim:

1. A table, comprising a top, a pair of brackets connected to said top, a pair of first leg members fixedly connected to said pair of brackets, and a pair of second leg members, each of second leg members being swingably connected at its upper end to one of said brackets and being swingably connected at its lower end to one of said first leg members for swinging movement between a retracted position in which said first and second leg members lie in substantially the same plane adjacent one side of the top and an erected position in which said second leg members project outwardly from said first leg members, said brackets being swingably connected to said top on aligned axes whereby upon movement of said second leg members into retracted position said top is swingable from an extended position normal to said leg member into a retracted position parallel to said retracted members.

2. The invenion as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that means are provided on said top for releasably locking said second leg members in extended position.

3. A table, comprising a top, a pair of brackets connected to said pair of brackets, 21 pair of second leg memnected to said pair of brackets, and a pair of second leg bers, each of said second leg members being swingably connected at its upper end to one of said brackets and being swingably connected at its lower end to one of said first leg members for swinging movement between a retracted position in which said first and second leg members lie in substantially the same plane adjacent one side of the top and an erected position in which said second leg members project outwardly from said first leg members, said brackets being swingably connected to said top on aligned axes whereby upon movement of said second leg members into retracted position said top is swingable from an extended position normal to said leg members into a retracted position parallel to said retracted leg members, the upper ends of said second leg members being engageable with the lower face of said top when said second leg members and top are in their extended positions, and feet on said brackets engageable with the lower face of said top when said top is in its extended position.

4. A table, comprising a top, a peripheral depending molding mounted on said top, a pair of brackets swingably connected to said molding on a horizontal axis, a first pair of leg members fixedly connected to said pair of brackets, and a pair of second leg members swingably connected at their upper ends to said brackets on first vertical axes and swingably connected at their lower ends to said first leg members on second vertical axes, whereby said second leg members are swingable about said vertical axes between a collapsed position in which said first and second leg members are generally coplanar and an extended position in which one of said first and second leg members are in common plane parallel to the plane of the other first and second leg members, said top upon movement of said second leg members into re= tracted position being swingable about said horizontal axis from an extended position normal to said first and second leg members into a retracted position generally parallel to said retracted leg members.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 4 in which lockstretch fixedly connected to said brackets, a pair of sec ond tubular leg members each comprising a vertical leg connected at its upper end to an upper horizontal arm swingably connected to one of said brackets on a vertical axis and connected at its lower end to a lower horizontal arm swingably connected to one of the vertical legs of said first tubular members on a vertical axis where by said second leg members are swingable between a retracted position in which their upper and lower arms are in planes generally parallel to and immediately adjacent said transverse first leg member stretch and an extended position in which said upper and lower arms are generally normal to said transverse first leg member stretch, said top upon movement of said second leg members into retracted position being swingable about said horizontal axis from an extended position normal to said first and second leg members into a retracted position generally parallel to said retracted leg members.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 6 in which the vertical legs of said second leg members are longer than the vertical legs of said first leg members and said lower horizontal arms have upturned ends, the adjacent ends of said lower horizontal arms and the vertical legs of said first leg members having pairs of rotatably interconnected plugs mounted therein for swingably interconnect- V ing the lower ends of said first and second leg members.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 6 with the additron that a pair of lock members are mounted on said top for engagement with said upper arms for releasably look ing said top and second leg members in extended position.

9. The invention as set forth in claim 6 in which the upper faces of said upper arms are flattened and are engageable with the lower face of said top when said top is in its extended position, and said brackets are provided with outwardly projecting feet engageable with the lower face of said top when said top is in its extended position.

10. The invention as set forth in claim 9 in which said feet and arms are disposed on opposite sides of said horizontal axis when said top is in its extended position.

11. A table, comprising a top, a pair of brackets connected to said top, a pair of first leg members fixedly connected to said pair of brackets, and a pair of second leg members, each of said second leg members being swingably connected at its upper end to one of said brackets for swinging movement between a retracted position in which said first and second leg members lie in substantially the same plane adjacent one side of the top and an erected position in which said second leg memebrs project outwardly from said first leg members, said brackets being swingably connected to said top on aligned axes whereby upon movement of said second leg members into retracted position said top is swingable from an extended position normal to said leg members into a retracted position parallel to said retracted leg members.

12. A table, comprising a top, a pair of brackets connected to said top, a pair of first leg members fixedly connected to said pair of brackets, and a second pair of leg members, each of second leg members comprising a vertical stretch connected at its upperend to a horizontal arm swingably connected to one of said brackets and at its lower end to a horizontal stretch swingably connected to one of one of said first leg members whereby said second leg members are swingable between a retracted position in which said first and second leg members lie in substantially the same plane adjacent one said of the top and an erected position in which said second leg members project outwardly from said first leg members, said brackets being swingably connected to said top on aligned axes whereby upon movement of second leg members into retracted position said top is swingable from an extended position normal to said leg members into a retracted position parallel to said retracted leg members.

13. A table, comprising a top, a pair of brackets connected to said top, a pair of first leg members including a pair of vertical legs interconnected at their upper ends by a transverse stretch fixedly connected to said pair of brackets, and a pair of second leg members, each of said second leg members being swingably connected at its upper end to one of said brackets and being swingably connected at its lower end to one of said vertical legs for swinging movement between a retracted position in which said first and second leg members lie in substantially the same plane adjacent one side of the top and an erected position in which said second leg members project outwardly from said first leg members, said brackets being swingably connected to said top on aligned axes Whereby upon movement of said second leg members into retracted position said top is swingable from an extended position normal to said leg members into a retracted position parallel to said retracted leg members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 489,369 1/1893 Case 108-124 900,552 10/1908 Kade 108-124 1,185,563 5/1916 Wells 108-124 2,053,789 9/1936 Hardy 108-124 2,720,437 10/1955 Baxter l08124 2,723,889 11/1955 Reingold 108-124 2,887,348 5/1959 Sadowsky 108124 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. GLENN O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,364,884' January 23, 1968 John J. Hamilton et al.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 35, after "retracted" insert leg lines 40 to 42 strike out "nected to said pair of brackets a pair of second leg mem-nected to said pair of brackets, and a pair of second leg bers, each of said second leg members being swingably" and insert instead nected to said to a pair of first leg members fixedly connected to said pair of brackets, a pair of second leg members, each of said second leg members being swingably column 5, line 4, for "said" read side Signed and sealed this 6th day of May 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. Attesting Officer Commis ioner of Patents 

